1. Field
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for deterring and for detecting tampering of bottles. In particular, the present invention relates to providing a covering that would have to be impaired and removed for an unauthorized user to obtain access to the contents inside of a bottle.
2. The Related Prior Art
One major problem with certain bottles such as liquor and medicine bottles is that children and in particular adolescents can drink or otherwise consume the contents in these bottles and get sick as a result. If they drink or consume the pills and get behind the wheel of a car, they can injure themselves or others. The best way to safe guard this is to provide a tamper proof seal on the bottle. A number of prior art proposals have endeavored to provide solutions to safeguard bottles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,016 to Cook et al. discloses a replacement cap for a liquor bottle. This mechanism is expensive to make and must be implemented by the manufacturer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,034 to Millard et al. discloses a tamper proof closure for a bottle requiring magnetic strips. This again is an expensive solution requiring a closure mechanism implemented at the manufacturers' end rather than one that an individual can place on any bottle at home.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,081 to Derman et al. relates to a locking neck ring device in which a ring has a protrusion gripping the bottle neck ring. This again is expensive.
US Patent Publication No. 2004/0206719 to Haggard et al. relates to another locking mechanism that is complex and expensive to manufacture.
Thus the prior art proposals require cumbersome, complex and expensive closure mechanisms that might not be suitable for all bottle necks of bottles.
It therefore would be desirable to find an inexpensive closure mechanism which can be replaced on any bottle and removed when desired and which when removed by an unauthorized user can be detected to ensure that the owner of the bottle is aware of any tampering with the mechanism and possible use of the bottle by others such as adolescents and young children in the household.